Customer Reviews

Show (CD & DVD)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

...that Allison Moorer is EASILY one of the best country artists of her generation. Album after album she proves it. Even her first time at bat, 1998's sublime "Alabama Song", was sheer perfection. This live set is a knockout. She sounds as strong in concert as she does on record. And to think, I missed a chance to see her perform last year. I won't make that mistake again.

You want to talk about a bargain? This set is a bargain at twice the price. The DVD contains the full concert on the CD, as well as a track that is not on the CD. All that for the price of a single CD? I think this just might be a first. (Yet another reason to be sure you are in the DVD generation--this kind of thing would have never happened with a VHS tape.)

The best treats here are the duets with her sister, Shelby Lynne. They absolutely soar on "Going Down", and they break your heart with "Is Heaven Good Enough For You" (fans of either artist probably already know about their horrible family tragedy some years back). But it's all good (even the Kid Rock duet isn't bad). As good as the studio albums are, something new is brought out of each song in live performance. I can't wait to see her live. I can't explain it, but this is a very special live recording. You'll quickly know what I mean when you hear/watch it.

Allison's lack of mainstream success baffles me. Out of nowhere she received an Academy Award nomination for 1998's "A Soft Place To Fall". She has an almost-famous sister. She's a great singer and songwriter. Her music is accessible to country lovers of all kind. And on top of all of that, she's beautiful! Heck, she's even done a duet with Kid Rock. How many millions of albums has he sold??

Hopefully country fans (alt or mainstream) will wake up and find out what they're missing. Allison Moorer isn't going to jump out at you and make you listen. She'll draw you in. But you need to spot her before she can do that. Let her.

Allison Moorer's voice has the feel of the warm honey and whiskey that my mother used to give me for a sore throat when I was a kid. It has strength and kick, while also maintaining a soothing, sweet quality. This live CD shows off that amazing voice, as well as those of some special guests. My favorite collaborations are Going Down, Is Heaven Good Enough for You and Bring Me All Your Lovin' with Moorer's sister Shelby Lynne (whose voice is equally strong if not quite as deep). Moorer also debuts the kick-bum new song I'll Break Before I Bend - her take on the recording industry and the compromises that you have to make to get your music played on the radio. She also includes an excellent rendition of Neil Young's Don't Cry No Tears. Throw in a bonus DVD of the concert, and Show is well worth the price of admission.

Allison's full throated wail is on beautiful display. She puts this show on her slender shoulders and carries it off like a champ.She's so gifted it hurts. That Nashville can't figure out the Moorer Sisters is a blessing and a curse, but that's a tale for another day.
Show to borrow a goofy metaphor (bear with with me) is like a wedding- Something old: Day You Said Goodbye, A Softer Place to Fall, Steal the Sun. Something New: I'll Break Before I Bend (written by Moorer and spouse D.Primm) Something Borrowed:Neil Young's Don't Cry No Tears and Lots of Blue: Cold Cold Earth (on the DVD), Dying Breed, and lots more! She sings three songs with her sister Shelby Lynne. (Fans Have been WAITING for this! They duet on Allison's heartbreaking "Is Heaven Good Enough for You". I won't even attempt adjectives to describe how sad and lovely it turns out. They also sing on Going Down and Bring Me All Your Loving.
The CD is a resounding success. The music is alternately gorgeous and raucous. Humorous and Heartbreaking. This woman has it all. Buy It and play it loud. Pour yourself a drink and light up a smoke...
You'll enjoy the ride, and come out on the other side smiling through the tears.

Her voice has the same timbre as Wynona's but her material is more country and less pop. Her lyrics are often more emotionally raw and her delivery better attuned to the words and music. I also wonder why Universal South and MCA kept Ms. Moorer's light under a bushel for so long, and maybe that explains her recent move to Sugar Hill (DUEL is her fine, first release on that label).

She's an artist who cares about her audience, and releases full disks of great music with wide dynamic range. Indeed, you can even find this release, without the free DVD, on hybrid SACD.

This set would be a fine introduction for those who have never heard her sing (as would her new edgy, new release on Sugar Hill). What gives this set the edge, though, is its very generous program of new songs and a bonus DVD which includes the entire set on video -- a good thing because Ms. Moorer is at least as pretty as she is talented.

The only negatives here involve some duos with sister Shelby. They sound a little shrill at times (though Shelby is a good harmonist) and some of their improv is a little repetitious and wearing. And Kid Rock's appearance towards the end of the disk is a mystifying event. Skip it unless you have the interest.

Small complaints aside, it's wonderful to see real talent rise in America without hype, skin and lots of b-side grooves. SHOW is a rousing, moving performance for anyone who values great country music delivered by a fabulous singer who is evolving in all sorts of good ways. As a plus, it will also let you show off your audio system because it's beautiully recorded.

Buy now, without reservation.

Let me start by saying, I am not a big country music fan. That being said, I love Allison Moorer. She is Nashville's best kept secret. She writes her own stuff, plays a great guitar, and has a voice that makes you long to hear more. The DVD/CD combo is a generous gift from Ms. Moorer, since I would have probably purchased both individually. She is a refreshing breath of fresh air, since country music radio is so full of people showing up to merely sing off lyrics to a song that somebody else wrote, played over music written by yet somebody else. Moorer sings personal, well-written songs, that mean something to her, and people like me love her for it.

Lucinda Williams is a good match for Moorer, and if you enjoy Allison's work, you should probably check out Lucinda also. They could just tour together and make me one of the happiest guys in the Southeast.

Allison covers a Neil Young song here, and since this is more like what I normally listen to, that won me over to Allison once again.

Stunning in its depth and power, Allison Moorer's amazing voice is on full display in this emotional live set. Crossing musical genres with smart, well crafted songs (most of which were written by Allison and her husband, Doyle "Butch" Primm), she ranges from dark and lush, "Let Go" and "Dying Breed", to full-on, in-your-face rock and roll, "Going Down", "I'll Break Before I Bend". Guest spots by R.S. Field, Lonesome Bob and especially Allison's older sister Shelby Lynne are wonderful. If you don't cry when Allison and her sister sing "Is Heaven Good Enough For You," written by Allison for their mother, who was shot and killed by their father, then check for a pulse and call 911 because you're dead. Kid Rock also makes a guest appearance. He's fun, but way out of his league. He deserves credit for having the nerve to sing on the same stage as Allison Moorer, but that's about it. Bottom line: if you are a fan of good music, no matter what label some company puts on it, then buy this disk right now.

After a deviation from the music that so enthralled her listeners, Allison Moorer returns to that music. Her voice is the most soulful of any I've heard and I have never heard her better than she is on this album. I first saw her with the Chieftains in Fort Worth, and ever since I've been hooked. I loved her first two albums and am still warming up to her third, but this one ranks right up there because they are the mostly from the first two albums; however, even the songs from her third album are amazing on this cd. She just sings in a way that captures your heart. Keep on singing, and don't ever bend to what Nashville wants you to do.

I had the original release a few years ago, wish I still had the DVD so I could watch it, but I would rather get a SACD of something that I love and enjoy it. Since I got a universal disc player that plays SACD and DVD Audio, it is amazing to see how the make an already great recording twice as good.
This is a hybrid SACD ,so that it does play on a regular CD player , but you can not really enjoy it unless you have a SACD music player. This recording has her sister Shelby Lynne join in on a couple of songs and also other guests, the list of songs in the live show is like a greatest hits CD.

this record is in my top 5 live records...Allison ranks up with the Who.Little Feet,The Ramones,Black Sabbath....

Just to add to what everyone else has said, yes it is a super album. and to give you the idea of what kind of effort the label has put into it, the dvd comes with a 2.0 and 5.1 surround, as well as a dts surround. 3 different audio options means this ain't no cheap extra. if you really want to notice the difference, do what i did. start listening to a song with the 2.0 surround and then change to the 5.1 and then a few seconds later, switch to dts.